Velocipede-bearing.



.PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

E. G. LATTA. VELOGIPEDE BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1900.

2 SHEETS-sum 1.

- Jiyen fir.

PATENTBD DEC. 29, 1903.

' E. G. LATTA. VELOGIPEDE. BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1900.

2 SHEETS-"SHEET 2.

THE NORR 5 PETERS 00,. M -L bw B c.

UNITED STATES Patented fieeemte'r 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

E'M'iitir e. 'LA'IYTA, OF FRIENDSHIP,NEW YORK.

- VELOCIPEDE- BEARING.

S PECIFIGA TION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,291, dated December 29, 1903. Application filed May lfi, 1900. Serial No. 16,768. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, EMMIT G. LATTA,3. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Friendship, in the county of Allegany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Velocipede- Bearings,.of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the bearings of bicycles and similar vehicles, and has for its object to so construct the bearing-case that the ball-cups cannot getout of alinement and so that the case is at the same time compact and inexpensive and free from projecting parts. i

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is a side elevation of acrank-hanger embodying my invention, the hanger being shown in connection with its .bracket and the adjacent frame-tubes of a bicycle. Fig. 2 is a transverse section in line 22, Fig. 1. in line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached top plan view of the bracket. Fig. 5 is a detached side elevation of the crank-hanger. Fig. 6 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified construction of the hanger.

Like lettersof reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the crank-shaft hanger, and B represents the usual frame-tubes which meet at the hanger.

- O is an open-ended bracket or fitting which connects the adjacent ends of the frame-tubes and supports the hanger.

vided with projecting lugs or thimbles c 0 0 to which the frame-tubes are brazed in the.

usual manner.

The crank-shaft hanger is cylindrical in form and seated in the correspondinglyshaped bore or opening of the bracket 0. The hanger consists of a piece of seamless tubing having its end'portions slightly reduced, as shown at d, and its ends turned inwardly to form annular ball-cups d.- The bracket may be of any suitable construction; but the same is preferably provided in opposite sides of its topor upper portion with notches or recesses e, leaving a narrow web or bridge 6' between the portions of the.

placement in the bracket.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.

This. bracket is substantially cylindrical in form and pro-' bracket, on which the front and intermediate thimbles c c are formed. The portion of the hanger-tube under. the web or bridge e is preferably reinforced bya plate f, and said bridge is provided in its under side with a groove or recess f, which receives said plate. The hanger-tube is secured in the bracket by a set-screw or clamping-bolt 9, arranged in i 'an opening formed in the bridge 6' and engaging in a depression g, formed in the reinforcing-plate f, thereby locking the hanger- ,tube against lateral as well as rotary dis- This reinforcingplate is riveted or otherwise secured to the hanger-tube.

H is the crank-shaft, and H H are the cranks, which parts are preferably of the twopiece type. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the detachable crank is locked to the shaft by a longitudinal key h, which is adapted to be driven out from its inner end in removing the crank.

'21 11 are the adjustable and fixed bearingcones which engage with the crank-shaft, preferably by screw-threads, and t i are the usual lock-nut and washer of the adjustable cone. .J is the sprocket or driving wheel, I

mounted on the hub of the detachable crank and clamped against a shoulder thereof by a screwnot 7'. The sprocket-wheel is OOlllpelled to turn with the detachable crank by.

the usual stud k of the crank.

The hanger is provided in opposite sides with openings Z, which are adapted to admit the cones ii in applying the latter to the crank-shaft. As the cones are of greater diameter than the openings in the ends of the hanger and are arranged on the inner to face outwardly. The balls are then placed in the cups d and retained in position by the cones. The free end of the crank-shaft is next passed through the left-hand cone 'i and screwed into. the other cone, and the lefthand cone is then screwed upon its seat nearly to its normal position. The detachable crank is then screwed upon the end of the shaft and secured in place by driving the key it into its seat, after which the righthand cone is screwed against the adjacent nut j and the left-hand cone is adjusted and locked in position, thus completing the assemblage of the hanger, the crank-shaft, and the bearings. bracket 0, the permanent crank is passed through the bracket under the bridge e and the hanger is tilted to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and turned so as to bring its reinforcing-plate f in alinement with the groove f of the bridge. In this position the hanger can enter the bracket, and upon lowering the same to a horizontal position it can be slid into place in the bracket. After fully inserting the hanger the bolt g is screwed down into the depression of the reinforcingplate for locking the hanger in the bracket.

Whenit is desired to detach the hanger and the crank-shaft from the bracket, the locking-bolt g is unscrewed sufficiently to release the hanger, when the latter can be withdrawn from the bracket. The key it is then driven out of its seat by a punch inserted through one of the side openings of the hanger, and the crankshaft is then unscrewed from the bearing-cones.

By making the crank-shaft hanger of a piece of seamless tubing which has its ends turned inwardly to form bearing-cups an exact and permanent alinement of the cups is insured and the hanger is at the same time simple and compact in construction, free from projections, and smooth and sightly in appearance.

The modified construction of the invention (shown in Fig. 6) is substantially like that first described except that the bearing-cups are arranged to face outwardly. They are formed by bending the ends of the seamless hanger-tube inwardly and forming annular grooves or depressions n in the outer side of the tube near its ends,so as to form internal shoulders n, against which the balls. run.

In' this case a ball-retainer 0 is employed, which consists of a sleeve or tube snrrou nding the crank-shaft and having beveled or tapering ends which bear against the inner sides of the two rows of balls, In this modification the oil is conducted from the hole in the wall of the hanger to the interior of the tubular ball-retainero bya smallradial tube 10, which extends inwardly through the wall of the retainer. The hanger of this modified construction has no side'openings, and in detaching the crank-shaft from the hanger after removing the latter from its bracket the adjustable To insert the hanger in the" of the shaft, leaving sufficient space between the hanger-shell and the under side of the shaft toinsert a punch for driving out the locking-key of the shaft, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6.

It is obvious that instead of employing a crank-shaft which requires the removal of the hanger from the bracket in order to detach the shaft any ordinary crank-shaft may be used which can be detached from the hanger without removing the latter from its bracket, and in that case the hanger and the crankshaft are applied independently.

While my improved bearing is herein shown and describedin connection with a crank-hanger, it is'obvious that the same is equally desirable for wheel-hubs.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a crankshaft or axle provided with bearing cones orsurfaces, of a surrounding case consisting of a singlepiece tube of substantially uniform thickness throughout and provided with integral separated annular portions which extend inwardly from the connecting body portion of said tube and constitute bearing-cups, and balls between said cones and cups, substantially as set forth. 2. Thecombinationwithavelocipedecrankshaft, a tubular hanger, and cones and balls interposed between said hanger and shaft for supporting the latter, of a hanger-bracket having a portion of its side wall cut away, and connected by an integral bridge, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a velocipede crankshaft, opposable bearing-cones on said shaft, a cylindrical hanger and balls interposed between said hanger and cones, of an opensided bracket havingits open side connected by abridge, and adapted to permit the hanger with its shaft and bearings in place to be attached to or detached from the bracket, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a velocipede crankshaft, opposable bearing-cones on said shaft, a cylindrical hanger, and balls interposed between said hanger and cones, of a bracket to receive the hanger, and a locking-screw seated in the bracket and having an oil-inlet registering with an opening in the wall of the hanger, substantially as set'forth.

5. The combination with a shaft or axle having bearing cones or surfaces, of a surrounding case consisting of a single piece of seamless tubing having portions bent inwardly to form ball-cups and provided in its side with an opening for admitting said bearing-cones, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with ashaft or axle, of a surrounding case having ball-cups and end openings through which the shaft passes, and bearing cones or surfaces on said shaft or IIO tachable to and detachable from said hangerbraeket as an entirety, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 10th day of May,

EMMIT G. LATTA.

Witnesses:

M. W. POTTER, CHAS. J. RICE. 

